Questions about EMG'S drugs, pain management...
 

Hi all. I am having my very first EMG on Monday, and I admit it, I'm scared. :(

I have talked to a couple of friends who have either had it, or knew someone who did, and they said it was extremely painful, or they ended up in tears. Why would they tell me that when they know I am about to have the test myself? I find that just out right cruel. Yes, I know the test is not fun, but can anyone offer any advice or info before I have it?

Can someone explain exactly what this test reveals? Does it also reveal if nerves are being compressed somewhere?

Also, just before the test, I am having two MRI's. I mentioned to my primary doctor that I am somewhat claustrophobic, so he prescribed some Xanax for me. I am going to call and check, but I thought I would ask here as well if the Xanax might affect the EMG results? I want to becareful there.

My other question is about pain management. I am hyper sensitive and don't do well with antidepressants, especially the low dose older antidepressants that are often prescribed for pain. Not only do they not work for me, but they make my heart go out of rhythm. Scary. So Gabapentin and Lyrica would be my basic choices? I am on Gabapentin now, 1800 mg. and I guess it needs to be raised. I am also taking Vicodin for my bad back and sometimes that does help with my neuropathy pain. I heard Oxycontin might be better for break through pain?

Thanks for any advice here. I really appreciare this board and the people on it. :grouphug:

Hi Hope -

I've had two EMG and they weren't bad at all. There were 2 zaps that made me tingle a bit but nothing painful. Now the MRIs, that's were I have my problems. I have had several but always in the open MRI unit.

Leslie

Some doctors give Valium before EMGs... so I don't think the
Xanax will be a problem.
I had EMGs in my arms, when my carpal tunnel was terrible, and it wasn't bad. But it depends on the person.

I can't address the pain meds, since people are all different and respond differently. You'd have to discuss this with your doctor.

Good luck.

Thanks Leslie. It's comforting to know that not everyone having an EMG has had a horrific reaction...

Thanks MrsD. I can't understand why someone would want to make me feel so bad just before the test. Maybe they aren't really a friend after all...

I've had 2 EMG's. It also depends on the doctor doing them, I would guess. I had the same doctor both times. We would be lying if we said it isn't uncomfortable, yet I am sure you can handle it. The most uncomfortable was the base of my back. Your friends should not have said anything until after you had the test done. It will be worse if you are afraid, so calm down, and do this test knowing it may give you answers you have been looking for.

I had 2 MRI's also. I have panic attacks, and I even managed to do the MRI's without Xanax. MRI's are not painful at all, they are very loud.

You can do this!!!:hug:

Thanks for the link Kitt. I hope I can get some answers...

Thanks Deb. One of the top neurologist at the teaching hospital that I will be going to will be doing the test, but I am still nervous. I keep telling myself that this may give the doctors some good information on my neuropathy, so, I will get through it somehow. Everyone sure is different though. I have read everything on the net from it hurt like hell, to it wasn't as bad as I thought.

Do not worry! That is an order!
 

I've had five or six EMG's and NCS's to get to my diagnosis, plus the full cat-scan and MRI of the head, neck, spine and pelvis. Often more than once.
I too, am claustrophobic? But, I tolerate it because I know that it'll help get me diagnosed. That gets me into and out of that 'tube' without issue. Tho once I did have a problem? It got fixed and FAST because I wasn't shy about complaining. Xanax should help you get thru it all tho. I know it's helped me!

The scans [CAT and MRI] are to see if there is any brain or skeletal damages that could be affecting your nerves [slipped discs and such].

The EMG's and NCS's use electrical current to essentialy track how fast or slow current in your muscles or nerves is going from point A to point B.
How WELL you fare in these latter tests really depends on the SKILLS of the person who is doing them! I have had both experienced docs and techs who do nothing but such testing and they were so good I literally fall asleep during the tests! Demand and be SURE that you have someone experienced in the room if you have a newbie doing it! Newbies gotta learn sometime? But ONLY if a veteran is supervising, in my book. When you get that 'confirmation' call about these tests? Be sure to state that you will be on the Xanax from a test earlier that day. IF they aren't happy? Tests can be rescheduled. OR call your doc.

As for the meds? At different times the doc's ordered it to be at the MRI center waiting, other times they'll phone in a script to my local drugstore and I'll pick it up the day before or the like. You mite want to call and ask your doc's office staff about this 'silly question'? They get these all the time and will make things clearer.

Here is another site for EMG's and NCS's: http://www.webmd.com/brain/electromy...uction-studies

Gotta ask tho? Two MRI's? Do you mean with and without contrast or just something like spine and neck? If you have a copy of the 'orders' Make a copy and ASK if you can for a copy of the results... Some states this is harder to get than others. I'm lucky in that I can and DO get!

I think a lot of us here have been thru what you are about to experience! Just prepare to be BORED thru it all, nothing else and you will come out and go on the way home? WOW THAT WAS A WASTE OF TIME! Not really tho, these are key tests for diagnosing anything neurological!

By the way? Be nicely chatty if you can with the techs and/or docs? Ask them every single silly question you can think of! Better yet the sensible ones -such as what does this all mean? Explain, Please? Sometimes they love to give you preliminary results so's to reassure you -but you often get much more....FINE BY ME!
IF something does hurt tho? Don't be shy about doing a good Cat-Type YOW!!!! now and then when it gets nasty. Speak up.

Hope also that they are taking a ton of blood work to go along with all this!
Let us all know how you survive, please! :hug:'s - j

My first EMG hurt soo bad towards the end I was bawling like a baby. The NCV portion of it I was fine and dandy with, and didn't hurt, it was the repetative shocks. :mad:

The second one I had done I was nervous then because the first one was sooo uncomfortable.
I thought it was mean of them to do another one since I had just had one done not that long ago.
However, it didn't hurt. They even shocked my face to do a blink test.

So, I am due back in neuro on the 12th and I actually hope they get a new EMG to see if there is change.
If this one hurts I guess I can kick myself later.

I had an MRI done as well.. they can put a cloth over your eyes.. so I had that done. (I am not claustrophobic, but I wanted it)
I just chilled, and tried to drone out the loud freaking noise and pretend I was laying on a beach.

It is normal to feel nervous. I have had a few of the emg/nc/ssep and mris. A few thoughts try to self talk that the goal is to figure out what is going on. I know for me it depended greatly on how my pain level was at that time. I have rsd as well and a finger touch hurts me so this was not pleasurable. I had really nice guys who did it and after took vicodin cause I have delayed pain. The guys talked to me and comforted me and I tried to think of thoughts to comfort and distract me. Hang in there and you will get through it and sometimes the bfore hand worries are worse you know. Also people have different experiences in general with these tests

I have had 7 emg/ncs's, though i wouldnt do them for an evening of entertainment, they were not bad at all and i would not and will not hesitate to have them done again.

As far as having two mri's done, is that at once? they wont do that here, only one at a time, the same with cat scans. I asked why once and they told me its too hard to stay still that long and the quality of the second invariably suffers. There is no reason not to have an open mri, the quality of open mri's has really improved in recent years, and they are much more comfortable and no medication will probably be needed. Good luck on your tests and dont sweat the emg/ncs's

Hi
I've had a few, the first one "hurt like hell". I left the office in tears. The next few didn't hurt, barely knew they were being done! But it was worth it to find out what was going on.

As for MRIs, had 7 of them for different problems. They are LOUD. Ask if you can have ear phones set to your favorite radio station. The techs usually tell me how long this set of noise will last, and I count them to tell time, and how much longer it will last. This has to be the least bothersome test on my list, I really don't mind them at all.

Barb

Thank you for all of the great information and advice dahlek, I will let you know how it comes out and what they find....

Wow, it appears that everyone really is different here. I found it interesting that some who had the EMG found that it hurt so much the first time, and experienced a different result later on. Well....wish me luck!

Hope
 

You'll do great! Like Dahlek and many others here - I've had more full body NCS/EMG's then I can count - and only one hurt - and that was done by a resident whom I'm pretty sure I was the first patient he had done the procedure.... takes about an hour for both parts and is more irritating if anything then painful - and the results are very important so just hang in there - the xanax should not affect the results at all....

And the MRI - you gotta get thru it or just go back and do again - xanax will help - and MUSIC will help - call and get a machine where you can bring a CD they can play your own music for you on the headphones you wear anyway to kinda block the sounds of the machine..... (yes, you can listen to these during a brain scan too - I've had at least four - all accompanied by my favorite musicians).... also, ask the tech to talk to you during the procedure between scans and let you know how long each set will be - some do and some dont if you dont ask ahead of time.... helps you see a light at the end of the tunnel!


Hope the tests are helpful:)

I've had 2 of those tests and the electrical shock sends me off the table. I assume it was from my stepmother's use of an electrical cattle prod on my brother and I when I was a boy which causes my oversensitivity to electricity. I do not like them at all. Some folks have told me it doesn't hurt them much, so I'm no judge of them.

They do serve an imortant function and should be done in my opinion. Don't worry, it will be over soon. Don't mean to scare anybody, just relaying my experience.

I'm sure it will go fast and will not be a big deal.

Jay

Not many of us have ever been disciplined with a cattle prod.
It is more of an irritant than anything else. something to be done and over with.
Not pleasant, but nothing to be scared of. I've had full workups done and will do it again in a few years to see if there is any progression.
Last time, saw no significant progression from 4 yrs before and compared to the first, as a baseline..

Thank kmeb, I appreciate the advice! It was most helpful....:hug:

OMG Jay, a cattle prod?? You poor thing. :(

Thank you Bob. So I guess this will be considered my baseline. Tell me, if there is any compressed nerves in any part of the body, will this test reveal that and where?

The test will only show if there is a problem between
the two test points used.
It will probably be from the knees down, and from the
elbows to the fingers.(I call my doc 'Frankenstein' to his face, and ask which light socket do I put my finger into, when the tech comes in - just as friendly jokes.)
The two tests are 'small' electrical jolts or electrical current 'zaps' that make the muscles twitch, and needles similar to acupuncture that register nerve conduction - and are audibly heard, and graphically seen, on the computer screen (hardly feel those-no current used).
It can show reduced electrical stimuli from compression, for carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel and related nerve pathways. Other 'Compressed' nerves aren't normally in this area unless surgery or trauma (injury) was done in that area. If your tests are outside the extremities - I'm unfamiliar with the procedure.

Hope:

You will do fine as others have said. I have had three EMG done and they didnt't hurt that much. It was a bit painful but nothing that i would classify as one of the strongest pains i've felt. I have cramps from period every month, EMG, nothing to do with them.

Good luck!